Agartala-Dhaka bus service to resume on next Monday

Agartala-Dhaka bus service which was temporarily suspended following torching of India's 'Maitree' passenger bus by a mob at Narsingdi in Bangladesh, will resume on next Monday, official sources said.

The repair of a spare 'Maitree' bus would be completed within a few days and the Agartala-Dhaka bus service will resume on next Monday, the sources said.

The authorities had to discontinue the service of 'Maitree' after one bus was torched in a case of mistaken identity during a political clash on Friday, while the spare bus was under repair, the sources said.

A two-member team of Tripura Road Transport Corporation (TRTC) would leave for Narsingdi, 70 km from here, tomorrow to lodge a formal complaint with the police there and conduct an inquiry into the incident, the sources said.

"'Maitree' is insured and an inquiry is necessary to make a claim for the insurance," the sources said.

'Maitree' plies from Agartala to Dhaka on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, while a Bangladeshi bus, 'Shyamali', shuttles on the rest of the days, except on Sundays.

Following the suspension, no bus left for Dhaka from here today, but the service of 'Shyamali' is continuing, TRTC sources said.

Maitree, with 12 Indians and 10 Bangladeshis on board, was torched in a case of mistaken identity during a political clash in the area, Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pankaj Saran had informed Tripura Chief Secretary Sanjoy Kumar Panda.

The driver and his assistant had received minor injuries while the passengers were safe.